Trump anti-fraud task force targeting California and more states to be led by JD Vance, sources say

Source: CBS News

Updated on: February 4, 2026 / 12:09 PM EST


A new White House anti-fraud task force that will search for welfare abuses in California and other states is in the final stages of planning by the vice president and the head of an independent consumer protection agency, multiple sources briefed on the plans told CBS News.

President Trump intends to sign an executive order in coming days naming Vice President JD Vance as chairman of the task force, a move that's meant to signal the importance of the effort to the president.

Andrew Ferguson, a federal official whose job is to prevent consumers from being exploited, will be vice chairman. Ferguson will manage both the Federal Trade Commission, where he is currently chairman, and the daily activities of the new task force, two of the sources said.

The plan calls for Colin McDonald, who has been nominated by Mr. Trump for a newly created fraud investigator role at the Justice Department, to fall within the DOJ's management structure – reporting to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche – but to work closely with Vance and Ferguson. Such an arrangement will likely trigger concerns from Democrats and watchdogs about whether the White House could try to exert political pressure on McDonald to investigate Mr. Trump's enemies.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-anti-fraud-task-force-targeting-california-jd-vance/